


In Time

by hibiren



Series: Jay's Gladnis Collection [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blind Character, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Injury Recovery, Late Night Conversations, Lestallum (Final Fantasy XV), Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Nightmares, One Shot, Peace, Post-Altissia, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Sort Of, [I just like exploring all the different ways they could fall in love mm]
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 09:46:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16616615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: Post-Altissia; Gladio and Ignis head for Lestallum when the Shield sustains an injury that needs more attention than they can provide with their meager medical supplies. After the long day, Ignis attempts to get some rest but finds it harder than he thought. Too many things are on the Tactician's mind, too many to bear alone, but in time he finds his answers.





	In Time

**Author's Note:**

> (what's this, a fic not taking place at Cape Caem--) I had a little idea for a quick gladnis fic and wanted to get it out while I had some time to post. Enjoy!

As frequently as Ignis said he was recovered, the words just fell from his tongue without much forethought. He knew his physical wounds had long healed over. Exploratory touches against his own skin only made him worry. The scars already stood out against his otherwise unmarked flesh--yet it probably looked worse than it felt. And that had been long ago.

Ignis curled up in his bed and shivered. He didn’t know what time it was but could tell that it was probably later than it should have been, since Gladio had left the room some time ago to check in on Iris, saying he wanted to do so before going to bed himself.

They were lucky to find a place to stay in Lestallum, although it was probably because Gladio had insisted that someone make room for them--after fighting off a whole horde of daemons by himself and managing to scrape free with everything mostly intact. Or so Gladio said. Ignis noted the varying weight and off-beat sounds the Shield’s boots made as they crunched against the dirt but decided to say nothing.

Once they had arrived in Lestallum earlier that day, Iris had given Gladio the medical attention he needed. Given her tone as she bandaged her brother it was clear that he had been lying, but Ignis guessed that it was to keep him from worrying too much.

But that’s exactly what Ignis did, as he laid in the room alone. He slipped into uneasy slumber and all the while the sounds of the attack played out in his head, and in his dreams. Why hadn’t he been able to help? Ignis managed in battle when he could. He relied heavily on magic at the moment, as it was the one thing he could trust in range. The one time Ignis left Gladio’s side happened to be a time that the daemons almost jumped on immediately. He remembered how disoriented he’d been in the moment, trying to pinpoint the sound of Gladio’s sword striking in the distance. He could hear nothing except for the creatures’ screeching and howling, and the sounds of scraping claws. 

In his dreams, Ignis relived the trauma, afraid as if it was happening all over again. The undeniable metal scent in the air as the fight finally died down, and the slick of Gladio’s blood hot against his gloved palms. It wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard he pressed. He had apologized to Gladio each time the pressure caused him pain, but it didn’t seem to help.

_ Gladio… I’m sorry… _

Something stirred nearby, outside of his dreams. Ignis woke with a start and frantically palmed around the bed for his sheathed dagger, fearing the worst. A strong hand gripped his wrist and held him reassuringly, the accompanying voice only then being enough to still his panicked state.

“Iggy, it’s me. It’s Gladio. It’s okay. You were having a nightmare.”

Gladio’s voice was low, calming, yet heavy with concern. When Ignis frowned and turned away, knowing he was shaking, Gladio let go of Ignis’ arm and instead rested a palm over the Tactician’s trembling hands.

“Hey… it’s alright. It’s just a bad dream. You… wanna talk about it?”

Ignis wasn’t usually one for talking, and Gladio knew that. This was more a concerned hypothetical than an actual request.

“How are your wounds?” Ignis asked suddenly. He could almost sense Gladio’s shift in mood from concern to surprise, in the way his breathing just subtly changed pace.

“Me? I’m fine. Iris patched me up good, y’know. I’m more worried about you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” the Tactician rushed bitterly, frown apparent. “I know I’m still in the process of relearning how to function in a battlefield but I’m not useless, Gladiolus.”

The Shield paused what he had been about to say and let out a long sigh instead. The hand atop Ignis’ pulled away, leaving him exposed to unpleasant cold once again. A few times, Gladio started to speak but stopped as if rethinking.

Eventually, Gladio found his words. “I don’t want to babysit you, Ignis. I just… when you went off alone… I didn’t want something to happen. When I ran into you again, I wanted to make sure you were safe. To  _ keep  _ you safe. You, and Prompto, are all I have left of what used to be. What happened was my fault for trying to move us around at night, I should have known better. You’re the Tactician. I’m just used to being the fighter. I should’ve thought it out more clearly. Without you, I guess… I just rush into things. I’m not used to fighting alone.”

With a quiet huff, Ignis turned his head toward Gladio out of habit and wondered if his attempt to keep his frown at bay was working. “Gladiolus. I want you to help me train, starting as soon as you’re healed enough. Clearly, I have a long way to go, to get back to where I used to be before…” Ignis cut off, the words suddenly catching in his throat, “...what happened. But I haven’t been taking things as seriously as I should be. What I dreamed of… I don’t want to lose you too. If we’re going to make it through this, we need to be a team again.”

“Iggy,” Gladio hesitated. A shuffling sound echoed through the room as Gladio moved. The sound of footsteps came closer near his side, opposite the bed. Ignis, confused, raised an eyebrow as Gladio spoke again. “Iggy, look… I… I think you just need some time to recover. I need time to recover. Let’s just take it easy while we’re here. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes… I think you need to get some sleep.  _ Real _ sleep. If we don’t rest up well now, how are we gonna be able to give it our best out there?”

Ignis felt himself start fuming, but kept it well-hidden beneath his expression, save for a twitch of his raised eyebrow. As time went on it became progressively more difficult to keep his voice at an even volume. “How are we supposed to sleep or ‘take it easy’ when there’s so much work to be done? …How am I supposed to sleep when every  _ bloody  _ night, all I dream of is nightmares? I’m sick of continuously reliving all my mistakes! And I’m sick of the fact that... the only time I can see your face anymore is...”

_ In my dreams. _

The harshness, the reality, in Ignis’ words caught Gladio off guard; he went silent for a long beat.

“Ignis… why didn’t you say something?”

Gladio’s words rang with pain, as he began to realize just how much Ignis had been fighting, even if he hadn’t said anything about it.

“...I couldn’t. There are more important things to worry about than what's in my head. Than nightmares. I’ve dealt with it… I just wish the one time each day I thought I could escape from my mind actually helped.”

Quietly, Gladio slipped back into the bed beside Ignis, brushing the covers aside enough to get beneath them. Before Ignis could protest Gladio held him gently in his arms, a silent gesture of support. Ignis felt his anger subdue, crumbling, as if the unavoidable cracks in the dam keeping all his thoughts back finally brought it to burst.

“Gladio… I… I feel so useless. I'm sorry I snapped. I… I can't…”

“I know, Ignis, I know.” Gladio continued holding the Tactician, embrace ever gentle as Ignis broke down in his arms. “It’s okay. Here… I know what might help.”

Guiding Ignis, who seemed tensed up as if caught in headlights, back against the bed, Gladio hadn’t let go of him for a moment. He laid there with Ignis on his chest, ear pressed against warm skin and the soft fabric of what Ignis assumed was one of Gladio’s usual tank tops.

The steady reassuring beat of Gladio’s heart hummed against Ignis’ ear, and the Tactician tried to time his nervous breaths to the even pace.

“It’s alright, Iggy. I know you might be down for a bit now, but, you’ve been recovering so well. You’re relearning everything, and doing it all remarkably quickly. It takes a lot of strength to keep going, you know.”

“You’re one to talk, of strength,” Ignis mumbled, feeling his mind start to pleasantly fog with an incoming air of sleep. This time, he decided not to fight it, too lulled by Gladio’s heartbeat to think otherwise.

“Well, this is the kind of strength that I don’t have, that you do… in your mind. And you’ve trained your mind just like I’ve trained my body. That’s why we work so well as a team. You’re my brains, and I’m your arms. Or, at least, that’s… what I’d like. I miss fighting at your side. I probably haven’t said that, since we met up again. But I do.”

A noise like a quiet hum left Ignis as he started to give in to the heaviness in his limbs, the warmth surrounding him, the desire to sleep. But, for a moment, he paused in a brief moment of clarity.

“I just missed you.”

“I missed you too, Iggy,” Gladio muttered into the Tactician’s hair. Ignis could picture him there, in the dark, the shimmering vision of his slight grin painting across his mind. It was a smile that never failed to warm Ignis’ heart.

“Gladio... are you smiling, right now?” Ignis asked, unable to keep his voice above a whisper, or he’d risk an unsteady tone.

“Yeah, I am. How’d you know?”

Ignis shrugged. How could he explain? “I can... hear it. In your voice.”

“Huh.”

Without much thought, Ignis raised a hand to touch Gladio’s warm cheek, his thumb lightly brushing against the narrow scar. More memories came back to him as his fingers traced the path of it downward, to glance against his jaw. There was something like a resolute strength in the man’s well-aged features.

“I love your smile, Gladio. I… wish I could see it again.”

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Gladio answered simply, and Ignis found himself smiling too, as his fingers detected each subtle way the muscles in Gladio’s face moved as he spoke.

“Yes, I can…”

“You know, I love when you smile too, Iggy.”

At the Shield’s words, Ignis allowed himself to show a rare blush. Or rather, he was unable to stop the rising heat in his face.

“To put it frankly,” Ignis muttered. He attempted to obscure his face in Gladio’s shirt as he added, softly, “I love more than just your smile. I love  _ you.” _

“I love you too.”

Ignis curled up and continued listening to the calming rhythm, Gladio’s life, strength, beneath his ear. As the moment between them quieted, Ignis realized his pulse beat in time with the Shield's. The sensation brought him peace, something rare in the hectic world they lived in. Peace, and for the first time in a while, a restful night’s sleep.

As he lost himself to a calming dream, a brushing sensation, the softness of lips, touched the top of Ignis’ head. Perhaps, when Ignis woke, he would wonder if he had been dreaming of it. But in the moment he was content to rest, feeling safe in his love’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feels too bad, ahh it hurt to write but I made it better in the end! If you ever wanna chat, my tumblr is also hibiren! Come say hi if you'd like~ :D


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